New paintings and regular art updates.
I went to our Orme Art group today and as I only had limited time I decided to draw from one of my photos from yesterday. It had to be a patch of snowdrops. So evocative of winter. It’s a felt pen sketch. I drew the light areas first then filled in around them. Probably took 90 minute’s.
In one of the hothouses in the walled kitchen garden at Rode Hall. Yes I have gone on about it but it was an interesting visit. Vegetables were displayed as if they were in a competition. Onions balanced on flower pots, old gourds piled up and drying. Bulbs were sprouting. It must be spring soon!
Two views of a hill in Rode Hall. One turned upside down to make it look like a reflection in a lake. The white in the grass on the photo is a carpet of tiny snowdrops. I got such a lot out of going out, although I was surrounded by a lot of people which made me quite nervous. I’m glad we went. It was a spur of the moment thing after seeing a video about it on Facebook.
Rode Hall is a small stately home on the borders of Staffordshire and Cheshire. It’s on a lane running between two major roads, one of which is the A34, which is in England.
Each year they hold a Snowdrop walk at about this time. The weather today was cold, crisp and bright. The various varieties of snowdrops glowed in the sunshine.
We had a very pleasant walk along a pathway to a lake in the grounds below the hall. Then back along the path a short way and up the small hills around the grounds of the hall. Finally we visited the walled kitchen garden with glass houses full of award winning vegetables.
I took lots of photos and I will post more on other blog posts. It wasn’t expensive. The only thing was there was a massive queue for the tea room but we ended going off and getting refreshments at a local church.
Sitting here- pondering what to do about college work, I never seem to get a minute to myself. I couldn’t sleep, I’m either too hot or too cold or someones elbow is sticking in my ribs, but because I woke up and started typing, now hubby is up and ready to go for a walk! For heavens sake can’t I get a quiet moment to myself?
I’m seriously thinking about single beds! you know you are getting older when you think that comfort outweighs companionship. No more knees in your back, or elbows in your ear, or your shoulder being used as a pillow.
No I’m not doing college stuff, I’m just trying to chill for half an hour. No doubt I will go back to bed soon!
Since todays prompt is beautiful I decided to draw a beautiful view of the Ukraine. So sad about what is happening. Felt pen drawing, #bandofsketchers. I love the mist coming down over the hills obscuring the pine trees.
🇷🇺
It’s happened. Russia is invading Ukraine. Why? President Putin seems to have become angry with Ukraine getting on with life and decided to try and take it back into a new sort of Soviet Union. However he tries to justify it, it does seem like madness. His troops have even taken over the old chernobil nuclear power station that blew up disastrously (in the 1980’s I think?). Why? If they shell that it could spread nuclear waste across Europe, Ukraine, but also Russia. Why be so mad? Why try and hurt people.
Russia and the West could get on, we could discuss things sensibly, but children, adults, older people are being hurt and killed. Why? What right has one man got to hurt and maim and kill people in a country that he does not control. Perhaps this is more notable to Europeans as it is happening on European soil. It says bad things about us that we neglect what happens in other parts of the World. We leave places to their fate like Syria and Afghanistan. We don’t understand the internal politics and the problems between different factions. How can we deal with anything if we don’t understand. Russias preemptive strikes are frightening and baffling.
Our outdoor, now indoor boy cat (seen sleeping here) seems to think he’s obliged to pay rent for staying here! It is quite upsetting when he brings small rodents like shrews and mice in. Sometimes we manage to rescue them. I hate it when he has a mouse moustache! I’m trying to teach him not to do it, but mostly I shout and tell him off and he looks bewildered (and bewhiskered).
Last night was mad. The mouse he bought in escaped into the bathroom but we managed to get it out by shutting our three cats in the kitchen and opening the back door. Since the bathroom is downstairs it was just a short run out for the mouse. The cats were contented with some cat food and we breathed a sigh of relief. I hope it doesn’t happen again soon!
Am I getting boring? A bit of art and sketching, some poetry, stories about cats.
Sketching, drawing, painting. What more things should I try? More short stories. I suddenly find my stats have dipped. Is it the weather, the time of year. The threat of war in Ukraine. I can’t imagine how that will pan out.
I’m looking forward to a supernova that they have said may flare up soon. I’m strangely enthusiastic about space and science. I’m really more interested in stars not stats. Does that make me boring? Too many questions. No answers
Have I posted this before? A digital image of an abstracted female face. I wish I could remember how I made it. Its probably a self portrait. I can also see an animal with green eyes in the lower half. There I go seeing things on patterns again.
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